Actinopus puelche, Ríos-Tamayo & Goloboff, 2018

Ríos-Tamayo, D. & Goloboff, P. A., 2018, Taxonomic Revision And Morphology Of The Trapdoor Spider Genus Actinopus (Mygalomorphae: Actinopodidae) In Argentina, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2018 (419), pp. 1-84 : 62-63

Actinopus puelche , sp. nov.

Figures 31A–G, 45

TYPE MATERIAL: HOLOTYPE ♂ ( LZI 0132 ): Buenos Aires. Sierra de la Ventana [38°8′ S 61°48′ W], 18 Apr. 2009, G. Pompozzi, 1♂.

PARATYPE: 1♂ (MACN-Ar 36611), Tandil [37°22′ S 59°9′ W], 28 Apr. 1985, C. Scioscia.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is a noun in apposition. The Puelches were aborigines who lived in Buenos Aires and La Pampa prior to the arrival of the Spanish.

DIAGNOSIS: Males of A. puelche can be distinguished by having a copulatory bulb with ATA and BTA well developed (fig. 31D–F); embolus with MRk well developed and Ak extended to the apex (different from A. coylei , A. cordobensis , A. ariasi , A. casuhati ). Rastellum with cusps (similar to A. insignis , A. gerschiapelliarum , A. taragui , A. puelche and A. palmar ). Differs from A. patagonia by its smaller size; thinner and more elongated palpal tibia (fig. 31C); and posterior sigilla not reaching the center of the sternum.

Female: Unknown.

DESCRIPTION: Holotype male (LZI 0132, fig. 31A–G): Total length: 9.60. Carapace (fig. 31A): length 3.72, width 3.72. Cephalic region: length 2.16, width 2.70; clypeus small, one large bristle in front of AME and 10 small ones on each side, 15 bristles between PME and 4–6 behind each PME-PLE dyad; 3 small bristles and one large central on each side of the OQ. Fovea: length 0.54, width 1.14. Eyes, diameters and interdistances: anterior ocular row straight; AME 0.20 (large), ALE 0.24, PME 0.12, PLE 0.16, OQ length 1.08, anterior width 2.12, posterior width 1.84; AME-ALE 0.52, PME-PLE 0.08, AME- PME 0.28, ALE-PLE 0.32, AME-AME 0.16. Chelicerae: length 2.08, width 1.08; cheliceral apex with 12 recumbent and elongated bristles which cover the base of the fang; rastellum with 8 marginal, blunt cusps, and 3/4 small dorsal ones; furrow with 6 large promarginal teeth and 6 retromarginal and 14 denticles, near the promarginal teeth. Labium: length 0.88, width 0.76. Maxillae: anterior length 0.96, posterior length 1.56, width 1.20. Sternum (fig. 31G): Center flat; length 2.96, maximum width 2.52, minimum width 0.78. Postlabial sigillum deep, posterior sigilla well defined and shallow. Abdomen: Length 3.60, covered by small bristles. PMS: length 0.48; PLS: length of basal:medial:apical segments 0.48:0.20:0.08. Spigots: 1 large, 22 small on PMS; PLS, numbers of large(small) spigots on basal:medial:apical article 1(30):2(35):(40). Lengths of legs and palp: I: 4.38, 1.74, 2.58, 3.30, 1.80, 13.80. II: 4.20, 1.74, 2.58, 3.24, 1.80, 13.56. III: 3.18, 1.80, 1.80, 3.42, 1.92, 12.12. IV: 4.32, 1.80, 3.30, 3.60, 1.92, 14.94. Palp: 4.80, 2.10, 3.90, –, 1.08, 11.88.

Chaetotaxy: Femora: 0. Patellae: I-II, 0; III, 20 P SUP-D ANT +9 on the margin, 1-1 D (1:2 B), 1-2-4 R (1:2 A) +8 on the margin; IV, 39 P SUP-D ANT +6 near the edge. Tibiae: I, 1-1 R INF, 1-1-1-3-1-2-4 V; II, 2-1-2-2-1-2 R INF, 1-1-2 V POST (1:2 A), 2 V ANT A; III, 1 P M, 1 D B, with an apical crown of 16 thorns, 2-1 R (1:2 A), 1-1-2 V POST, 2 V ANT A; IV, 1-1-1-1-2 v. Metatarsi: I, 2-2-3-1-1-1-1 V-V ANT, 2-1-2-2- 1-2-1-1-2-3 V POST-R INF; II, 1-2-2-1-1-1-1-2 R INF, 4-3-3-3-1-4 V (verticillate); III, 1-1 P (1:3 A), 1-1-1-1-1-1 D ANT, 2-1-1-2-2 V, 1-1-2-0-3 D POST-R; IV, 2-1-3 P (1:2 A), 1-1 V (1:2 B), 1-0-1 V POST (2:3 A). Tarsi: I, 1-1-1 P INF (1:3 A), 1-1-1-2-1-3-4-2 R, 1 V A; II, 1-1-1-1-1-1 P INF, 1-1-2-1-2-4-2 R INF, 1 V A; III, 1-1-0-1-1 P INF, 1-1 R INF; IV, 1-1-3-1-1 P INF, 1-1-1 R (1:2 A). Total number of retrolateral spines on tibiae I and II (fig. 31B): 2 and 10 respectively. Palp: Tibia long and slender (width/length: 0.27±0.01) (fig. 31C). Bulb robust; ATA and BTA developed; embolus short with a series of denticles at the base; Ak extended to the apex and RMk developed. Pseudoscopula: Tarsi: I, sparse (A); II sparse and complete; III-IV, dense (uniformly distributed throughout the segment). Metatarsi: without pseudoscopula. Trichobothria: Tibiae: I 3-5; II 3-4; III 4-6; IV 5-6. Metatarsi: I-III 9; IV 6. Tarsi: I 8; II 9; III 8; IV 7. Color: Carapace reddish brown; ocular region and chelicerae darker. Abdomen dark brown; booklungs with light markings. Spinnerets light yellowish. Sternum light reddish brown, labium and maxillae darker. Legs like carapace, palp tibiae light.

DISTRIBUTION: ARGENTINA: South of the Buenos Aires province. URUGUAY: Rocha province.

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires. D’Orbigny, Pdo, Gral. Suárez [37°40′ S 61°42′ W], 21 Apr. 1984, J. M Gallardo, 1♂ (MACN-Ar 36612) ; 4 Apr. 1967, L. Demarchi, 5♂ (MACN-Ar 38191). URUGUAY: Rocha. La Coronilla, [33°54′ S 53°31′ W], 28 Feb. 1974, R. Benzo, 1♂ ( MNHN 1346 ) ; Same data, 12 Mar. 1976, L. A de Gambardella, 1♂ ( MNHN 1317 ) ; Laguna Negra [34°01′ S 53°38′ W], 18 Apr. 1973, M. Ruíz, 2♀ ( MNHN 287 ) .

COMMENTS: The specimens from Uruguay are included in this species by their similarity in the morphology and bulb shape. However, they exhibit some differences in their overall size, size of AME, and color of booklung markings. In the absence of additional specimens, we prefer to be conservative and consider these specimens conspecific with this species.